My biggest mistake in the beginning was to decorate solely on looks and style instead of comfort and our lifestyle. Silk drapes? - not so great with 3 little boys (ditto to about 1,000 other things when it comes to kids - certain upholstery fabrics, light colored carpets, area rugs under the dining table, etc.). Intricate moldings on furniture or cabinets? Too much dust and grime to keep up with when you live in a windy desert. I *still* make the mistake of Pre Buying - I don't know if there'll ever be hope for me in that area. But at least now I know to get rid of it when it doesn't meet our needs and is instead a major pain in the patootie. Two years ago we wanted to buy a leather sofa and love seat but could only afford one. Instead of saving and waiting , we decided to buy a microfiber set ---ugh, uckk, ick. It was uncomfortable and became stained in a very short time (my kids are well-mannered and well-behaved, but there's not much you can do when they barf on the furniture). Last month I finally got fed up and sold the set and now we have NO sofa or love seat at all.

Thank you, Jan! I really love the space. It was converted in 1948 to be the bedroom for the teenage boy who was living in this house at the time. I've met his sisters and they tell me that he used to threaten them to stay out of his private retreat by telling them that the knot-holes in the knotty pine were actually EYES watching them. LOL! Thanks for the thoughts on going more rustic too. I agree that I'd need to de-feminize the room a bit, but there are a few things I have on display of a girly nature that have sentimental value, so ... Still, love the idea for changing out my fabric choices, particularly the bedding. My present comforter is getting a bit worn anyway, so maybe I will look for something with a Pendleton blanket styling to replace it with when the time comes. I love the bench shown in your photo, and the way you turned an old shutter into a magazine rack is pure genius! I love twig furniture as well, and can definitely envision that in my space. The little sitting area that contains the blue chair remains a work in progress. Thanks to one of my bratty cats totally shredding the footstool shown in the pic, I'm on the lookout for something to replace it with. I know I can do better with the lighting in this space too ... love your mission style lamps! You did indeed "steal" that leather horsey-head chair! The one I saw advertised was $375 if I recall correctly, and I just couldn't swing it - although I realized it wasn't a terrible price for such a cool old chair (and it too was in pristine condition). I actually love the old wagon wheel stuff that a lot of people think is junky. It just brings back a lot of memories, and I think it's kitschy and fun now. I really, really, really hope you'll post more pics of your barn room or bunkhouse, or any other space you have that will give me more ideas! You have an amazing eye for detail, and I don't mind telling you that I'd love to copy some of your ideas. If you don't mind, that is. ;-)

Wishing I had pix - my mother's home is full of lamps made from antiques: a large coffee grinder, wooden planes (the carpenter's type) & several kerosene lamps like the 1 pictured above - a couple have dark green glass shades, which look very nice w/ the brass. My dad made them all back in the 50s & early 60s, when it was all the rage, apparently. My parents did a lot of antiquing back in the 50s - they lived in Long Island & would drive out into the country on the weekend to auctions. Here's a pic(not mine) of what the wood planes look like - the lamps have brass tubing & drum shades covered w/ natural burlap...

It's a slag lamp...Art Nouveau...chances are huge that the metal parts are brass. Looks like a Miller...if it has a name....the other "name" I know is Handel. Dates from about 1905 to maybe 1920. Thank you Linda. I was hoping you'd chime in. I have a vague recollection of my Aunt mentioning Handel? Slag lamps were definitly made with curved panels.....in fact it seems to me most were. Thank you for correcting erroneous information given above. :) Great lamp! I envy you...I had one on my desk as a child, from my grandmother.....and my mother "got rid of that ugly old thing".....sigh. I have coveted this lamp for many years. In fact I had searched for a similar one for years but most I found were either in rough condition or well above my budget. However I was happy to just covet it as I absolutely miss my Aunt. She had a wonderful life though. She had every brain cell plus some when she passed away in October at the age of 95. I can't even begin to tell you the things my mother and elderly aunts, I'm 60 so theywere very eelderly lol got rid of, to them it was all just junk, to me a treasure trove of delights..my biggest loss was all the bed and table linens, many that they brought with them from England when they moved to the states, sigh lol. Very nice lamp. Thank you. And yes, my mother and her sisters got rid of those "old" oriental rugs and all that "old, ugly" furniture.